Syracuse, N.Y. -- If Syracuse can’t afford to hire more teachers, it can’t afford to sweep the streets either, according to a lawmaker who is trying to block the annual cleaning and sealing of city streets.

“I’m willing to reconsider this when they come back with an additional $2.4 million for the school district,” Denno said Monday.

Administration officials said they did not see the connection between reading, writing and road work.

“He’s making a completely apples-and-oranges case,” said Bill Ryan, chief of staff. “They have nothing to do with each other.”

Work started July 1 on this year’s sweeping and sealing program, said Pete O’Connor, commissioner of public works. The Common Council is being asked to authorize selling bonds to pay for the work, then billing taxpayers on the affected streets next year to recover the cost.

That’s how the work is typically paid for each year, Ryan said.

Denno said he objects to adding $2.3 million to taxpayer bills — even for a limited subset of taxpayers — because the city won’t increase taxes by a similar amount to benefit schoolchildren.

His amendment passed the council 5-4, but was vetoed by Miner, who said city taxpayers could not afford another increase after the tax hike of 2010. Miner’s veto withstood an attempted override.

The council is expected to take up the sweeping and sealing expenses Aug. 22. Denno, who chairs the public works committee, said he will not sponsor the items, but another councilor could step in as sponsor.

If the bonding measures don’t pass, the city will have to pay for the work done thus far out of its general fund, officials said.

O’Connor, the DPW commissioner, said street sweeping keeps about 2,000 tons of debris out of city sewers each summer. Instead the debris is collected and sent to Seneca Meadows landfill. Allowing that debris into sewers could cause clogs, sewer backups and broken pipes, he said.

Replied Denno: “There are also long-term consequences to underfunding education.”